Words on a page

I tend to drone on and on and on about the need for, and usefulness of, an outline when you're writing. This is especially true when you're writing a long document or a very structured one like a report or a white paper.

It seems that I'm not the only person who thinks this way. White paper guru Michael Stelzner writes:

The outline is your architectural blueprint.

It shows where you need to start, the major milestones and guides you to the end.

The outline can also be shared with others to help achieve buy-in before you begin any major effort.

When crafting something complex, like a white paper, the outline is essential.

I like the architectural blueprint metaphor. It really brings home the role of the outline in the writing process. With several projects that I've tackled, a carefully crafted outline helped make the job a lot easier.

Labels: outline, techniques, writing